Ordnance



A. T. DAWSON AND G.-T. BUCKHAM. ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION men NOV. 13. 1911.

1,37 1,075. Patented'Mar. 8,1921.

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- A. T. DAWSON AND G T. BUCKHAIVI.

ORDNANCE. APPLlCATlON FILED NOV. 13, I917.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921 3 snzns-smzn 3.

llbliaoxuvwae UNITED STATE-5;

ENGLAND.

Latina 5. i

To all wZLom'z'z f may concern: t Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREV R Drxwsonyknight, and Sir GEORGE THOMAS Bt icKHAM, knight, both subjects of the King 7 of Great Britain, 'residingat Vickers House,

Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England,'have inventedcertain new i and useful Improvements in or Relatingto Ordnance, of which the following is a speci -i fication; I Y I This invention relates toordnance or guns of the so-called non-recoil type in which 'the gun barrel is open at each end and receives 9 in, addition to the projectile and the powder charge a compensating mass which, when the gun is fired, is ejected from the rear .end of thebarrel, the inertia of this mass being substantially equal to that of the projectile so that the recoilforce due to the firing of the projectile is more or less neutralized. In such guns it has beenproposedjto'com struct the gun barrel in two portions, viz., a fixed or forward portion anda movable'or rear portion detachably connected: to the former'by interrupted threads or collars and to effect the displacement of the movable barrel-portion byan operating handle which, when. moved, first angularly j displaces, the

' movable jjpbrtion' to disengage the interrupted threads or collars, thenfshifts it lone gitudinally and finally swings 'it across 3 the breech face ofthe' fixed barrel-portion-about an'axis parallel to the barrel, to enable the {I projectile, the powder charge-and the com pensating mass to be loaded into the fixed barrel, portion the complete operatlon of displacing the movable 'barrel portion is thus performed by three separatemotions I r of theoperatinghandle. I '40 I According-to the present inventionwe provide means 'whereby the aforesaidf'three movements of the movable barrel-portion canbe effected by a continuous movement in one direction of the operating handle, the w said means preferablycomprising a rotary actuating sleeve,- cylinder, or, other member having rollers or projections Whichfduring the continuous angular displacement of the sleeve'in one direction, operate in the correct sequenceto first unlock the movable barrelportion, to thenmoveit longitudinally and finally to swing it aboutjthe aforesaid horizontal' axis. 4

, j'l- 3In order thatLthe said invention maybe 1 vided with a AR HUR TREVOR Dawson AND GEORGE rnonms BUCKHAM, or WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS 1T0 VIGKERS; LIMITED, r or W TMIN E oR'DNAncEi I with reference to the accompanyin'gjdraw ings, 1nwh1ch:'"-- l l I Patented i-.3 1eie1. 1 Application filed November 13,1917. S eria1 1 T9.201,845. I I I .Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa gun 'pro- I I constructional form of ourimprovements. l Y

' 'Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a rear elevation and a plan ofFigl 1. I

Fig. et is a section takenapproximately on the line of Fig. 1 but with themovable or rear barrel-portion'swung to its open or loading position.

Fig. 5 is a section taken approximately on the'line 5, 5 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 6 is a local section on the line' 6-6 of Fig. 1, butwith the bracket 'D', herein: after referred to, omitted, and v rear; this view shows the parts in the posi ment of l the "rear barrel-portion, after the Fig. 7 is a section takenapproximately on I the llne 7 ,7 of Fig. 1', and viewed'frorn the latter has been unlocked from the forward II barrel-portioni' L I V.

:A is' the fixed or forward barrel-portion and B is the rear barrel-portion lwhi'ch,ias

is well understood,is rotatably and slidably mounted intwoguide bands 6 b securedto i a. hor zontal spindle B" rotatablymounted inebra ckets (one of which is 'shownata in Fig. 1) on' the forward barrel rp'ortion A. The rear barrel-portion is detachably 'c on-. nectedto the forward barrel-portion by interrupted threads or collars as aforesaid;

C is theaforesaid actuating sleeve which is "rotatably mounted on the spindle BQ; This sleeve in theexample shownhas bevel teeth at its forward 'end and also has two.

roller pins ,0 and C theformenbein'g placed radially at the. end removed: from the bevel; teeth and theother beingi iarranged horizontally I near thev center. The 'jbevel teeth en'gage'with abe'vel P11110111) mounted in a bracket 1) which is supported by the spindle'Bf and is .fixed by being keyed to a projecting arm A onthe bracket 11 of the forward barrel-portion A. .The radial roller pin G" is adapted to engage with a cam groove 6 formed in a cam band to the rear barrel-portion B.

The horizontally arranged roller pine is adaptedfto engag'e with algmove'I) in the face of the said cam band I A hand lever E 7 displacement of the rear barrel-portion and in this event it is necessary for the locking.

catch e to be held out of its engaging posi tion when're-p'assing the slot '61. For th s purpose we provide a screw threaded collar E? which engages with screw threads on the part D of the bracket D and is keyed to the hand lever (for example by three keys 6 on the collar E engaging with corresponding slots in the boss of the hand lever) so that when the said collar is rotated by the hand lever it is displaced: axially. into a position to prevent the catch from rengaging with the locking slot: until the rear barrelportion B resumes itsfully locked position, A spring controlled retaining catch b is mounted in the forward one of the guide bands 6, Z) of the rearbarrelportion'B and this. catch is adapted to engagewith a slot bf, formed in a key B on the rear barrel portion, while the latter is performing its swinging movement, thereby locking it in its withdrawn position. The said retaining catch'comes against the head of a, steel screw d' (Fig. 4:) attached to the bracketD when the rear vbarrel-portion is being swung into alinement with the forward barrel-portion after loading and the said catch is thereby disengaged from it's slot b V a o a 7 When the gun is'to be loaded the aforesaid sliding ferrule E is moved along the handle of the hand leverE to disengage the locking catch a and the hand lever is then rotated. The consequent movement of the actuating sleeve C causes the horizontally arranged roller pin C on this sleeve to angularly displace the rear barrel-portion by the engagement of the saidroller-pin withthe groove 79 in" the face of the cam band B fixed to this barrel-portion,.thereby unlocking the latter from the forward barrel-portion. On the v completion of this unlockinglmovement the radial roller pin C on the actuating sleeve engages with the cam groove 7) in the said band and thereby moves the ,rear barrelportion B rearward so that its front face comes clear of .thebreech face of theQforward barrel-portion. During this rearward movement the aforesaid key B on: the rear barrel-portion enters a key-way on the, forward one of the' guide bandsfb, b and the said barrel-portion is thereby prevented from moving about its axis 'when in the withdrawn positlon. The' rearward movement of the" rearbarrel'qoortion is arrested This catch is moved to the released poby a stop b thereon comingagainst the said guide band, and the radial roller pin C is'then unable to move farther along its grooveb in thecam band, whereby the sleeve C becomes for the time being rigidly connected to the rear barrel-portion. Consequently, as a groove B on the cam band B of therear-barrel-portion hasat this time become clear of a guide or projection D (see Fig. 7 which is formed on the bracket D and which v during the rearward movement of'the rear barrel-portion hadprevented the-latter from swinging about the axis of the spindle, further displacementof the actuating sleeve C will cause the rearbarreh portion together with its guide bands" to be swung to its open position about the spindle '13., for enabling the cartridge comprising ,the projectile, the powder charge and the compensating mass to be loaded into therear end of theforward barrel-portion The rear barrel-portion at this, time rests uponjan arm D which is integral with the bracket DC 1 During the said swinging movement the'catch bf engages with the slotb to lock the rear barrel-portion the withdrawn position and'the said barrel-portionoperates a suitable extractor F (Fig. 4:) for ejecting or unseating the 'cartridgecas e, When the hand lever is rotated in the reverse direction after the gun has been loaded, the rearjbarrel-portion isffirstswung'into line with the forward barrel-portion, is then moved in a forward direction and" is finally .angularly displaced about its axis to lock it to the forwardbar'rel-portion' f V The rotary actuatingsleeve C is formed with a camrgroove C serving to retract the a striker of the firing mechanism before any unlocking mjoveme'ntis imparted to the rear barrel-portion and} to afterward effect the cocking of the striker! This arrangement is fully ,set forth in the specification of our patentapplication SerialNo. 201,846, filed November 13th, 1917.

What we claim and desire to secure by 1 Letters Patent ofthe United States is j 1; In non-recoil ordnance, the combinae tion' with the fixed barrel-portion and the movable barrel-portion, of an operating device and'means whereby a continuous me n entinoneldirection of said device unlocks themovable barrel-portion from the'fixed barrel-portion, said movement taking place in a single'plane relative to said fixed por- "tion, then, displaces the movable barrel-portion longitudinally and .fin'ally moves it about a longitudinal axis across the breech face of the fixed barrel-portion to enable the latter to be loaded. I 1 I V I I 2. In non-recoil" ordnance, the combination withthefixed barrel-portion and the movable barrel-portion, of an operating handle and means whereby a contimious movement in onedirectionof said handle 1 place in a single plane relative to said fixed portion, then displaces the movable barrelportion longitudinally and finally moves it about a longitudinal axis across the breech face of the fixed barrel-portion to enable the latter to be loaded.

3. In non-recoil ordnance, the combination with the fixed barrel-portion and the movable barrel-portion of an operating handle, a rotary member actuated by said handle and projections on said member which,

during the continuous angular displacement of said member in one direction, operate in the correct sequence to first unlock the movable barrel-portion, to then move it longitudinally and finally to swing it about a horizontal and longitudinal axis.

4. In non-recoil ordnance, the combination with the fixed barrel-portion and the movablev barrel-portion, of an operating handle, a rotary sleeve actuated by said handle and projections on said sleeve which,

during the continuous angular displacement of said sleeve in one direction operate in the correct sequence to first unlock the movable barrel-portion', to then move it longitudinally and finally to swing it about a horizontal and longitudinal axis.

5. In non-recoil ordnance, the combination with the fixed barrel-portion and the movable barrel-portion, of an operating handle, means whereby a continuous movement, in one direction'of said handle unlocks the movable barrel-portion from the fixed barrel-portion, then displaces the movable barrel-portion longitudinally and "finally moves it about a longitudinal axis across the breechface of the'fixed barrel-portion to catch for said handle and means for holding said catch in the disengaging position durmg the rotation of the handle.

' 6. In non-recoil ordnance, the combination with the fixed barrel-portion and the movable barrel-portion, of an operatingdevlce, means whereby a contmuous movement in one direction of said device unlocks the movablebarrel-portion from the fixed bar-- rel-portion, then displaces the movable barrel-portion longitudinally and finally moves it abouta longitudinal-axis across the breech face of the fixed barrel-portion to enable the latter. to be loaded,-and means for preventing the movable barrel-portion from being.

displaced a b0utits axis after it hasbeen withdrawn from the fixed barrel-portion.

7. In non-recoil ordnance, the combination with the fixed barrel-portion andthe movable barrel-portion of an operating device, means whereby a continuous movement in one direction of said device unlocks the,

movable barrel-portion from the fixed .bar-f rel-portion, then displaces the movablefbarrel-portionlongitudinally and finally moves .it about a longitudinal axis across the breech face of the fixed barrel-portion to enable the latter to be loaded, and a retaining catch for looking the movablebarrel-portion in" its Withdrawn position during its movement across'the face of the fixed barrel-portion.

In testimony whereof, weafiixour signa I tures. r

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON;

GEORGEVTHOMASTIBUCKHAM. i

enable the latter'to be loaded, a looking 

